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#Masterchef Recap 19 June: Mystery Pot

We’re back, with a considerably reduced Masterchef team. Watching Shannon get booted is even better the second time round. In the house, Hayden reveals that he can count. Alana is happy with everything she’s done so far. What has she even done?

They arrive in the Masterchef kitchen to find sealed mystery pots on all of the benches. George tantalizes them with the prospect of making it to the Masterchef Top Ten club. Ellie is out sick – she’s going straight through to the pressure test. Firm but fair.

Apparently the pots are the basis most exotic challenge they’ve ever done. Gary says ‘exotic’ a few more times, then calls it an ‘invention mystery box’. Goth Matt and a couple of other suck-ups laugh at his ‘joke’. They’ll be cooking with one of three core ingredients – beef, pork or mackerel. Do they get to choose? No! They’re stuck with whatever pot they picked.

Michael’s neckbeard is coming along nicely. He wants beef. Based on how glum he looks I doubt he gets it. Winners get a chance to fight for immunity, and get to sit out the team challenge. Bottom three will be in the pressure test with Elly.

Matt has another twist up his sleeve. Who filled the pots? Goth Matt guesses and laughs loudly. Shut up Goth Matt. Apparently he could tell by the pot. By which he means ‘I googled it on the cheat phone I snuck in because I am a cheat’, presumably.

Goth Matt's secret to success

It’s David Chang from Momofuku! It’s a Korean challenge. He is also rocking a neckbeard – better than Michael’s ginger effort.

The pots are open! There are a few packaged ingredients as well as tonnes of fresh stuff. Awesomely the writing is in Korean, adding an extra layer of challenge.

Only Goth Matt admits to having cooked with Korean ingredients before. David tells him he’ll be getting judged harder. David is a champ. Kumar is bricking it.

They’re off! Quirky Danielle seems to know what she’s doing, despite not having cooked with this stuff before. Michael got the mackerel. He is basically quitting, choses his dish by looking around at what everyone else is doing. Dani has a ‘wacky’ idea. I have a wacky idea – stop talking. It’s a Korean rice burger.

Adam is also staring blankly at his pot. He thinks the lotus root is a loofa. Poor idiot can barely speak in the commentary box.

Delicious!

Peter’s making sushi and yakitori. Close but not quite Korean, buddy. As the contestants panic, David explains all the ingredients to a frankly overwhelmed Gary.

Hayden is really talking himself up tonight. He thinks he knows exactly what he’s going for, then describes the world’s vaguest dish. Gary is surprised at how well he’s coping. Stop saying ‘Asian flavours’! There are a lot of flavours, guys.

Cook Korean like a Masterchef does

Goth Matt seems cheerful as he makes his marinade. Too cheerful. You know he has a blog too? It is – no joke – called ‘Cooking With Goths’. I LOL’d.

Michael is getting more and more despondent. David Chang cannot believe that none of these people have ever tasted Korean food. Welcome to Australia! George drops the first of hopefully many pickle-related puns.

Goth Matt claims he is making Korean carpaccio. David Chang could not be less impressed by this. This makes Goth Matt nervous as this guy is his hero – Gary seizes on this weakness to wind him up more. Rattled, Goth Matt excuses himself to use the facilities, then googles ‘korean food’ on his cheat phone.

Adam’s trying to look as Korean as possible. He’s not having a lot of success. David Chang tells him that he’s doing everything wrong. Adam ignores this advice. Nice work, Adam. I thought following instructions was actually quite important in scuba diving work.

'The tank is telling me I'm out of oxygen, but I think I'll ignore it'

Matt’s carpccio is uneven, due solely to his own incompetence. Dani is going great guns with her burger. It sounds great but she is so insufferable that it’s ruining the idea for me. Quirky Danielle is having some troubles. She thinks the judges love sauce, so pours a saline solution over her dish. Butter, Danielle, you’re thinking of butter.

Michael takes his fish out of the oven. It is perfectly cooked so he decides to fry it some more. Peter is trying really hard with his plating! David is just laughing at everyone now in these final seconds. Alana thinks it will all come down to taste. Really?

Time’s up! Dani is suddenly filled with shame and regret. It won’t last.

What are these eftpos ads about? Is there an eftpos lobby? Who is making money out of this? I have so many questions.

Judging time. Peter’s first. For once his dish is vaguely presentable. I’m warming to this guy. He’s made six dishes. Crazy space music plays. He’s done well, and is perhaps the first contestant to successfully present multiple dishes. Peter is so pleased!

Quirky Danielle is next. She is worried that it’s way too salty. It is. Gary pretends to be having a stroke then produces a bottle of water out of thin air. She prays openly for others to fail harder.

Dani is in full irritating hipster form as she brings her rice burger up. You aren’t cute and you aren’t funny Her burger is delicious, but not mindblowing. David Chang appreciates her taking a chance. She was clearly expecting a bit more than that.

Michael is next. He is so glum. He can barely speak. His fish is like rubber. He pretends it’s acceptable. George isn’t buying it, forces him to admit that it’s dry. Michael is a contender to win! George is admitting that he’s picking favourites. See you in the pressure test Michael.

Hayden’s up. He’s delighted with his dish and is wearing his lucky maroon pants. He has made a delicate Korean tasting plate to everyone’s surprise. Everything is amazing. Does he dye his hair?

Alana has made a boring-looking fish soup. Her fish is also overcooked. Adam follows with another risky mackerel dish. Matt asks Adam why he ignored David’s advice, ignores his answer and tells him to listen to actual chefs. David nods.

Goth Matt is up. He has not made a Korean dish, and his carpaccio looks appalling. Sadly, it is delicious. I would be angrier about Goth Matt’s success if his ultimate fate hadn’t already been revealed.

That’s it, apparently – big middle of the pack today. We apparently won’t be hearing from half the contestants tonight. Dani, Hayden and Peter made the best three dishes. Goth Matt sulks. David Chang announces the winner – it’s the flameball. The flameball always wins in the end.

Masterchef winner 2011

These Melbourne ads are getting worse. I don’t want to be harassed by an old man in a top hat when I’m going about my business in the city. Bring back the ball of string.

The flameball declines the prize. Hayden wins instead and gets to fight for immunity. Does he get two pins if he wins? I look forward to watching ‘Bondi Chef’ on channel ten in six months. Goth Matt is apparently number four.

Matt is being really full on about the bottom three. Everyone feels terrible. Quirky Danielle, Michael and Adam will be fighting it out (with Ellie) in the pressure test tomorrow. Adam is smiling like a serial killer. George makes a heartfelt speech that he appears to be reading off cards. He can barely talk.

See you tomorrow for George’s mum’s first appearance on the show. No, really. I’m excited.

Cathaxx – Danielle is the quirky 50s styled chick who works in her family Ito business. Dani is the fringed lunatic who sucks up to the judges and massaged the Spanish chef’s (masterclass) marinade in lewd and unhygienic manner.
Thanks for the recap!